Definition

Verb: - To denounce, to accuse formally: To formally report someone's crime or wrongdoing to the authorities or a competent agency. This action implies an official accusation, often submitted in writing, to alert the responsible bodies about a suspected illegal act.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Người dân đã cáo giác hành vi tham nhũng tới cơ quan điều tra. (The citizens denounced the corrupt acts to the investigative agency.)
  • Cô ấy viết đơn cáo giác kẻ lừa đảo với cảnh sát. (She wrote a petition to denounce the fraudster to the police.)
  • Việc cáo giác tội phạm là trách nhiệm của mọi công dân. (Denouncing criminals is the responsibility of every citizen.)

Advanced Usage

• "đơn cáo giác": Denunciation letter / formal accusation letter.
  • Công an đã tiếp nhận đơn cáo giác của người dân. (The police have received the citizens' denunciation letter.)
• Used in formal, legal, or official contexts. It carries a stronger and more procedural connotation than the more general "tố cáo" (to accuse/report).

Variants and Related Words

• Cáo (verb): To tell, to report (archaic or formal, as in "cáo từ" - to bid farewell). Note: This is a separate root word.
• Tố giác (verb): To report a crime, to inform on someone. Very close in meaning but can sometimes imply informing on someone involved in a crime, potentially as an accomplice.
• Tố cáo (verb): To accuse, to denounce. A more general and common synonym.
• Báo cáo (verb): To report (general, for information, not necessarily an accusation).
• Kết tội (verb): To convict, to find guilty (focuses on the judgment, not the act of reporting).

Synonyms

• Tố cáo: To accuse, to denounce.
• Tố giác: To report/inform on (a criminal).
• Vạch trần: To expose, to reveal (wrongdoing).
• Báo cho cơ quan chức năng: To report to the authorities.

Related Phrases (Collocations)

• Cáo giác hành vi phạm pháp: To denounce illegal conduct.
• Cáo giác với cơ quan có thẩm quyền: To denounce to the competent authority.
• Nội dung cáo giác: The content of the denunciation.
• Người đi cáo giác: The denouncer / the person who files the accusation.

Notes on Meaning

• Primary Meaning: The core meaning is the formal act of reporting a crime or serious wrongdoing to an official body (e.g., police, court, inspectorate). It initiates a legal or disciplinary process.
• Nuance: Compared to "tố cáo," cáo giác often sounds more formal and is strongly associated with written legal documents (like an "đơn cáo giác"). It emphasizes the procedural aspect of starting an official investigation.

verb

1. To denounce